


Let Him Love You

by Anonymous



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Age Difference, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Auror Harry Potter, Birthday Sex, Blow Jobs, Bottom Scorpius Malfoy, Confessions, Cross-Generation Relationship, Department of Mysteries (Harry Potter), Dirty Talk, Drunk Sex, Drunken Flirting, Friendship, Gay Scorpius Malfoy, HP ScarryFest 2021, Harry Potter Epilogue Compliant, Inappropriate Erections, Light Angst, M/M, Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter), Mutual Pining, POV Scorpius Malfoy, Pining Scorpius Malfoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:14:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29769141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Scorpius can’t stop getting hard around Harry. Harry’s convinced he’s too old for Scorpius. Al wants to stop being the third wheel.
Relationships: Scorpius Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14
Collections: HP ScarryFest 2020-2021





	Let Him Love You

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my beta, L!
> 
> Prompt was: _Scorpius is going insane because Harry just doesn't seem to realise how insanely hot he is and that everything he does makes Scorpius pop a boner._ Submitted by Ringelchen.
> 
> Thanks for reading <3

Scorpius couldn’t remember the first time he saw Harry Potter in the newspaper. He remembered the first time he met him, though. It’d been the summer after first year, and Al had invited him to spend a week at Grimmauld Place with his family. Scorpius almost didn’t go. He had dreaded meeting the wizarding world’s most revered man. Of course Scorpius hadn’t told Al this. Al hated that his dad was a living legend. 

He remembered how Al had dragged him into the parlour (Scorpius’ father had refused to enter the house, instead leaving him on the stoop like a forgotten owl order), and Harry Potter had been lounging on the sofa with bare feet and holey jeans. 

“ _Dad_ ,” Al said in the impatient tone he saved only for his dad and his most hated professors. “This is my mate, Scorpius Malfoy. Don’t you dare say anything nasty about his father.”

Scorpius was so overwhelmed he couldn’t look up from his trainers. He heard Harry Potter rise from the sofa; then, quite unexpectedly, the heroic man dropped to his knee so he could speak to Scorpius on his level. 

“Hello Scorpius,” Harry Potter said, his smile like the sun. “I’m so glad to have you over.”

Scorpius managed to meet those famous emerald eyes. _Handsome_ , Scorpius thought, blinking. He finally understood what it meant that he stared at Harry Potter’s photograph in the papers, why he didn’t stare at girls in his class the same way. 

In that moment, Scorpius knew he loved the man kneeling before him. It was silly, and _so stupid_ , but Scorpius couldn’t ignore the swell of emotion inside him. 

“Thank you, sir,” Scorpius stuttered, his gaze back on his shoes. 

Later, when he and Al were upstairs, Al had narrowed his eyes at him, assessing him. “You know, we can’t be mates if you go all gaga over my dad.” 

Scorpius felt sick. “That’s not - I don’t _care_ about your dad.”

Al didn’t look convinced. “I can’t stand his fans, Scorp. I like you and all, but I refuse to be friends with freaks who worship him.”

“It’s not - Al, _come on_.”

“You can never like him more than me. You’re _my_ mate, not his.”

Scorpius laughed, even though his stomach clenched terribly. “Al - you sound so mental right now.”

This made Al smile. “I guess I do sound mental. Let’s play some Exploding Snap and forget about _him_.”

*

Eight years later and Scorpius was still in love with Harry Potter. He was comfortable enough now to think of him as _Harry_ , but he never called him anything other than Mr Potter.

Eight years later and Scorpius was still best mates with Al. _Attached at the hip_ , people liked to say. They were nineteen and still lived at home, though Al had been pressuring Scorpius to rent a flat with him. The problem was Scorpius didn’t want to leave his father. His mum had been dead for five years, and his father hadn’t moved on. He was lonely, and Scorpius couldn’t bring himself to make him even more lonely. 

Also, if he and Al got a flat, it would mean Scorpius wouldn’t see Harry as often. Scorpius liked popping over at Grimmauld Place and being surrounded by the Potters’ warmth and happiness. More specifically, he liked being surrounded by Harry’s warmth and happiness, even if some of it had dimmed since Harry and Ginny’s divorce. 

It was late July, close to Harry’s birthday, and the days were hot and wet and uncomfortable. Al was obsessed with fixing up Sirius Black’s old motorbike and Scorpius was obsessed with studying for the Ministry’s Unspeakable entrance exam. It was a sore subject for Al and Scorpius had to keep yet another thing secret from his best mate. 

“Hand me that wrench, will you?” Al muttered. 

Scorpius hesitated; his mind had been on other things. “Which one is that again?”

“ _Bro_ ,” Al said, irritated. “We’ve been over this a million times.”

“Sorry,” Scorpius said, even though he wasn’t all that sorry. They were in a blazing shed and their cooling charms did very little to tamper the heat. He didn’t know why Al was obsessed with working on a motorbike the Muggle way, especially one that was halfway to being fully magical and therefore could be entirely magical with help from a few spells. 

“Go back to the house if you don’t want to be here with me. In fact, you can leave altogether. I’m going to be busy with this for most of the afternoon.”

Scorpius inspected his best mate. He was used to Al’s wounded tone, his passive pushing away of friends and family. In the past, Scorpius had avoided most of it, but it seemed like now, more than ever, Al was determined to alienate everyone who mattered to him. 

“I’ll just wait for you inside,” Scorpius said calmly. He got to his feet and grabbed his bag. 

“My dad’s not even home!” Al yelled as Scorpius left. 

Scorpius almost yelled back: _I don’t care if he’s home!_

Grimmauld Place felt like a cool embrace after the shed. Harry had on the magical cooling system, which Scorpius found pretty decadent after living most of his life in an ancient manor. 

Scorpius wandered to the parlour, intending to use the desk at the window to study. In the parlour, the wireless played softly. Scorpius’ stomach squirmed. Al had said his dad wasn’t home but no one else would have put on the WWN. And Scorpius was pretty sure James was still in Romania and Lily was still at a Quidditch training camp. 

A few muted sounds escaped from downstairs. Scorpius hesitated, trying to fight the urge to seek Harry out. Scorpius didn’t want to be a _bother_. He just wanted to get a glimpse of Harry, maybe have a quick chat.

Setting down his bag, Scorpius ventured downstairs. The stairs were a little creaky but Harry was listening to a terrible rock song on the kitchen wireless. He was doing the washing up like a Muggle, his back to Scorpius, his hands dunked in a sink of soapy water. 

Scorpius approached. “Hello,” he said, feeling utterly stupid. Still Harry didn’t hear him. He put his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Hello,” he said again, close to Harry’s ear. 

“ARGH!” Harry yelled. He spun around, looking ready to fight. He relaxed somewhat when he saw Scorpius. “Oh, it’s you.”

“I’m so sorry, Mr Potter - oh no, you’re bleeding.”

Harry looked down at his right hand. He was dripping blood on the tile. “Oh fuck,” he muttered. “I was washing the knives and I must have nicked myself when you spoke.”

“Merlin. I’m sorry.” Scorpius stepped forward without thinking. He took Harry’s hand in his own. “Let me heal you.”

Harry gave him a swift look. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“Yes.” He wanted to add, _I’m not a child_ , but of course he was still a child to Harry. He held Harry’s hand gently and traced the cut on his palm with the tip of his wand. Together they watched the cut knit itself back together.

Standing this close to Harry, holding his warm hand, smelling his wonderful clean scent, made Scorpius’ cock twitch in his trousers. It wasn’t the first time he’d got hard around Harry. 

When Harry was fully healed, Scorpius didn’t immediately drop his hand. For a few beats they stood there close, breathing each other’s air. Scorpius looked up and found Harry watching him. Harry’s eyes widened like Scorpius had caught him doing something secret. 

Harry pulled away gently. He gave Scorpius a strange little smile. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Scorpius said. He tried to hide his flushed face. “I’m sorry I frightened you.”

“It’s nothing,” Harry said, casual, so casual. Scorpius had no reason to linger but he didn’t escape back upstairs, not yet at least. 

“How has your day been?” Scorpius asked. 

Harry shrugged. He returned to the sink and rested a hip on the counter so he could still look at him. “I’m finding sabbatical a proper bore. I thought I’d love to have a lie in whenever I wanted but it got old after a while.” 

The sunlight streamed in through the kitchen window and highlighted the grey in Harry’s unruly hair, made his gaze bright, so bright.

Scorpius gulped. His cock was tingling again. “How about you help Al with the motorbike?”

Harry’s smile dropped. “I’ve offered but Al doesn’t like it when I meddle.”

“Yeah,” Scorpius said, not entirely sure why he suggested it in the first place. He just knew Harry desperately wanted to connect more with Al. He also knew that, most of the time, Al wanted nothing to do with his father. 

Harry looked so sad now. Scorpius wanted to take him into his arms, hold him tight. He wanted to comfort him in every way he was capable. 

Scorpius turned away. “I guess I’ll get back to studying.”

“What are you studying?”

Scorpius paused on his way back to the stairs. He didn’t know how to read Harry - whether he wanted to be alone or not. “Um. I’m taking the Unspeakable entrance exam soon. Al doesn’t know.”

Harry’s eyebrows rose. “That’s quite impressive.” Something had changed in his expression. His eyes were darker.

Scorpius took a deep, unsteady breath. His cock responded to Harry’s new expression. His cock was so eager, so pathetic. “Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “I should get back to it.” He escaped upstairs before Harry saw the bulge in his trousers.

*

That night, after Al had put the motorbike to bed and Scorpius had hid away his study books, they reunited in the parlour to eat greasy takeaway and watch terrible Muggle films. Harry joined them even though Al did everything he could to ice him out.

Scorpius picked at his pepperoni and mushroom pizza and tried to ignore the animosity between father and son. The truth was Scorpius thought Al was too old to treat his father the way he did. It wasn’t Harry’s fault that he was _Harry Potter_ , defeater of Voldemort, saviour of the world. 

Scorpius also knew the pain it all caused Al. Harry wasn’t a perfect father. Sometimes he said the wrong thing; sometimes his bias against Slytherins _did_ come through. Harry was a Gryffindor through and through, and Al loved flaunting his Slytherin colours. He loved that his traits were not Harry’s traits. 

There were two snug sofas in front of the telly. Scorpius was on one and Al lounged in the other. When Harry arrived, he headed for Al’s sofa but Al stretched further, taking up both cushions. Scorpius saw the indecision in Harry as he hovered in the middle, deciding if he wanted to sit next to Scorpius or pull a wooden chair closer. 

“Do you mind?” Harry asked, motioning to the other cushion.

“No,” Scorpius said quickly. He scooted to the end to give Harry as much space as possible. Harry smiled at him blandly and sat down. 

An awkward silence descended the room as they ate their pizza. Al was shooting his father glares and Scorpius struggled to calm his breath. Scorpius felt the heat of Harry’s body, smelled his soap. Scorpius was almost hanging off the side of the sofa but their thighs were still almost touching. 

Grumbling, Al turned on the telly with his wand. The film began playing a moment later. 

“I remember this when it came out!” Harry said, utterly delighted.

Al groaned loudly around a mouthful of pizza. The words _The Fifth Element_ appeared on screen, and Harry virtually _vibrated_ with excitement. 

“No, Al! You’re going to love this film! I promise,” Harry insisted.

“It’s probably going to be lame,” Al groaned. 

But the film turned out to be brilliant. Scorpius thought Muggles were so clever with their science fiction and aliens and futurism. Harry watched both of them, savouring their expressions, grinning excitedly when they laughed. At one point, Scorpius met his eyes, and the warm delight he saw there made him tingle all over. 

Afterward, Al Summoned some beer from the kitchen, and they all enjoyed a few bottles. Al’s shit mood continued, and he drowned four beers to Scorpius’ one and half. 

They watched telly for a few more hours. Scorpius thought Harry would retreat to bed, but he didn’t. He watched as Al got drunk, a sad frown on his face. 

Scorpius was thinking about heading home when Al staggered to his feet. “I’m going to bed!” he slurred. “You two can stay up and do whatever you want to do.”

Harry stood to help Al upstairs but Al put his hands up. “Leave off!” he said, louder than necessary. Muttering, he staggered up the stairs, banging into the wall more than a few times. 

Harry shook his head and sat back down on the sofa. They were now pressed together, thigh to hip to shoulder. Scorpius gulped, his mouth suddenly dry. He took a nervous sip of his beer. 

The telly was the only sound in the room for a minute or two. Scorpius cast his mind desperately for something to say. Harry was warm and solid beside him. His faint soapy scent reached Scorpius’ nose, and his cock twitched embarrassingly in his trousers.

Scorpius managed to sneak a glance at Harry, and he found Harry looking at him. Harry’s eyes lingered, the green a tad darker. Harry was a little pissed himself. 

Scorpius shivered. “You were right … that film was good. The aliens … the futuristic flats … very cool.”

Harry laughed. Now his eyes were twinkling. They were twinkling but still dark. _Fuck_. 

“What did you think about the bloke playing Korben Dallas?”

Scorpius shrugged. “He was all right.” Then he paused. Was Harry asking him if he’d found the bloke attractive? 

“I see,” Harry said.

Scorpius felt himself flush. Harry knew he was bent, just like Al knew. It seemed like everybody knew now. 

“Did you not fancy him because he was old?”

Scorpius opened his mouth.

“Sorry, sorry!” Harry looked away hastily. “That was terribly pervy of me to ask.”

Now Scorpius’ cock was really taking notice. He was growing hard in his trousers and it was a disaster. Scorpius stuffed his hands into his pockets, attempting to hide any bulge. 

He didn’t know why Harry was asking him about some balding man in a film. He didn’t know why Harry _cared_.

Harry turned to face him. Resting his arm on the sofa, he just looked at Scorpius for a moment. Scorpius squirmed. 

“Why do you want to be an Unspeakable? Surely there’s no need for you to work.”

The question made Scorpius frown. “Why did you become an Auror? Your vault is overflowing with gold.”

Harry laughed softly. “Point taken.” He sighed and ruffled his hair. “I wanted to do some good in the world, or continue to do good. I needed something to do with myself after the war.”

Scorpius couldn’t speak for a moment. Harry was being vulnerable with him, and it was unbelievable. Scorpius felt like he was in a dream. “I want to do something good, too,” he said roughly. “The Department of Mysteries fascinates me.”

Harry looked past him at a dark, empty corner. The telly shadows played on his face. “I only went there once and it was a … mistake.”

“Your godfather,” Scorpius said softly.

“Yes.”

Scorpius touched his hand before he could think about it. “I’m sorry you lost him.”

“Me too.” Harry looked down at Scorpius touching him, pale against brown. Harry cradled his fingers and brought them closer to his face. “You have gorgeous hands,” he murmured.

“What?” Scorpius stuttered. He was utterly taken aback by the compliment. 

Harry released him and looked away. “Forget it. I’m being an idiot.”

Scorpius stared at his averted face. If Scorpius had been someone else he would have kissed Harry, or at least made an attempt. “I never - I didn’t know -” He was still stuttering. He had no idea Harry even fancied men. 

Harry stood quickly. He rubbed a hand over his face. “Sorry - I’m -”

Scorpius grabbed his wrist, not letting him run off. “Wait. Sit back down. Please.”

Hesitating, Harry lowered himself back to the sofa. His face was flushed, but Scorpius didn’t know if it was from the beer or because Harry was embarrassed.

Scorpius let go of his wrist. “It wasn’t bad - what you said.”

Harry looked at him almost shyly. Scorpius’ stomach fluttered. _He wants me_ , Scorpius’ mind supplied. The thought made him want to panic. 

“You don’t look anything like Korben Dallas,” Scorpius said stupidly.

This made Harry laugh. “I sure hope not!” He patted the top of his head. “I’m lucky to still have my hair.”

Not believing his own bravery, Scorpius reached out to touch a bit of Harry’s fringe. His hair was so soft. Harry’s eyes went dark again. 

Another bout of silence fell between them. The silence was different this time, heavier. Harry looked away, then sneaked a glance at him. He rested his arm behind Scorpius, bringing them even closer. Scorpius snuggled into him, eyes trained on the telly. They were really pressed together now. Scorpius was burning up, and his cock was eager and stupid and so needy. He slid his hands back into his pockets.

Harry put on another film. Something with more aliens and spaceships but Scorpius couldn’t focus on it. He couldn’t focus on anything but the feeling of Harry next to him. 

“Are you getting tired?” Harry murmured.

“A little.”

“Rest your head on my shoulder if you want.”

Scorpius snuggled even closer. He wrapped his arm around Harry’s and leaned his head on his shoulder. He smelled the laundry soap on Harry’s shirt, the light sweat on his neck. He felt Harry’s pounding heartbeat. 

Midway through the film, Scorpius somehow fell asleep. He was alone on the sofa when he awoke, a blanket carefully wrapped around him.

*

The next time Scorpius visited Grimmauld Place it was Harry’s fortieth birthday. The day was more than a little sad. No party had been planned; no friends had been invited over. Harry spent the afternoon crouched in front of the Floo, waiting for James and Lily to wish him a happy birthday. Then Harry left at five to have an early dinner out with his best mates. Al hadn’t even got him a birthday present.

Scorpius couldn’t stand it. He marched out to the sweltering shed. “Get up. We’re making your dad a cake.”

“What?” Al looked at him like he had two heads. 

“You heard me. Now get up.”

Al squinted at him, debating. He dropped whatever Muggle tool he’d been holding and stood. “All right. It’s too bloody hot in here anyway.”

Scorpius was surprised Al agreed so quickly. “All right, cool. I owl-ordered the necessary ingredients. They should be here any moment.”

Al snorted. “Of course you did.”

They went into the house and the cool air greeted them with an embrace. An owl was pecking at the parlour window and Scorpius let him in. The owl dropped off a parcel, Scorpius fed him a treat, and the owl took off again. 

Al grabbed the parcel. “It’s heavy. Have you made a cake before?”

“Yes - for my father. He enjoys it when I bake for him.”

This made Al raise his eyebrows. “I thought your dad preferred to have the house elves do everything.”

“Usually, but birthdays are different. At least, they _should_ be different.” Scorpius gave him a pointed look. 

Al shrugged. “My dad already has everything in the world. People chuck priceless gifts at him all the time. He didn’t need something from me.”

“He didn’t need it but he probably wanted it.”

Al shrugged again and didn’t say anything.

They went down to the dark kitchen. Al charmed the window to let in light and Scorpius lit some candles. Then they unwrapped the parcel.

“Chocolate cake and red and gold decorations,” Scorpius explained. 

“You even got him an edible Snitch?” Al unwrapped the sugary Snitch and they watched as it floated briefly before falling carefully to the table. The Snitch came with a little sheet of parchment that listed the different spells one could use to decorate. Al read over their options. “I don’t want to charm it to fly around like an actual Snitch. That shite would be annoying.”

“Yeah .. let’s just have it flutter over the cake itself.”

“Okay.”

They got to work on the cake, measuring the flour and sugar and oil. Scorpius beat a few eggs with his wand but then found a wooden spoon to mix all the ingredients together. 

Al frowned. “Why do you want to do it by hand?”

“Makes it fluffier,” Scorpius said. He took his time folding everything together. 

While the cake baked, they whipped up the red and gold icing. Al dipped his finger in both to have a taste. 

“This was a good idea,” Al said, a little sheepish. 

Scorpius raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, yes,” Al said hastily, “I know I can be a bit of a tosser when it comes to my dad.”

“A bit?”

Al scowled. “You’ve always been better at the whole son thing than me. I don’t _like_ being Harry Potter’s son. I would rather have no family at all.”

“You only say that because you don’t know any other way. My family is broken … nonexistent. I would love to be a Potter.”

“I’m sure you would,” Al grumbled.

“What?”

Al ate more icing and didn’t say anything. Scorpius let it go. He didn’t want to know what Al meant, not really.

When the cake was done baking, they took it out of the oven. They cast a cooling spell on it, then got to work applying the icing. They did this all without talking much, which Scorpius appreciated about spending time with his best mate. 

Scorpius was carefully writing _Happy Birthday, Harry_ in gold icing when Al said, “It’s different, you know. Your dad isn’t the most famous bloke to ever live. You _like_ your dad. He actually gets you.” 

“I don’t think Father gets me, not entirely.” Scorpius finished the last few letters of Harry’s name and set down his wand, relieved. The cake didn’t look half bad. “He just tries really, really hard to understand.”

“Well, there you go,” Al grumbled, head bent down. 

“I think your dad tries to understand you.”

“Sure, he _tries_ , but it’s different.”

“Yeah, I guess it is different. Sometimes I think … I’m the only good thing in Father’s life. He tries to understand or whatever because he has no other choice. On the other hand, your dad has so much on his plate ...”

“Merlin, this is depressing to talk about.”

Scorpius laughed without humour. “Yeah.”

As the final touch, they charmed the sugar Snitch to flutter above the cake. Scorpius thought about adding candles now but he didn’t want to mess up his icing job. He decided he would give Harry the option of candles. There was a good chance Harry might not want a reminder of years and aging. 

“Want to play some Gobstones as we wait for him to get home?” Al said.

Scorpius grinned. “Like old times? Definitely.” He and Al had been mad for the game back at Hogwarts.

They went back up to the parlour. Scorpius switched on the wireless as Al summoned his dusty box of Gobstones. Judging by all the banging, the box had been buried under his bed. 

They settled into a match with the Arctic Martians jamming on the wireless. Harry arrived home an hour later, his cheeks flushed. It was obvious he’d had a few glasses of wine at dinner.

“Hello, boys,” he said when he saw them on the floor. 

Scorpius' smile turned brittle. He was sitting on the floor, playing a child’s game. He quickly stood up. 

“We have something to show you,” Al said, also standing. His tone was low, hesitant. 

Harry frowned. “Did the ghoul sneak back into the attic again?”

“No. Follow us.”

Harry’s frown only deepened. Scorpius wanted to tell him it was a good surprise, but he let Al take the lead. 

They went downstairs to the kitchen. Harry stopped so abruptly that Scorpius almost ran into him. 

“Oh,” Harry breathed, gaze on the cake. “Did you two buy it?”

“No, we made it,” Scorpius said, then quickly added, “It was Al’s idea.”

Al shot him an alarmed look. Harry turned his gaze on his son. Behind his glasses, he blinked away tears. “Really, Al? I had no idea you even cared about my birthday.”

Al flushed. He shot Scorpius another look, this one full of anger. “No, Dad. Scorpius lied. It was all his idea, but I’m glad we did it. Happy Birthday.”

Harry pulled his son into a tight hug. “Thank you, Al,” he said, voice full of emotion. Al looked like he wanted to be anywhere but in his father’s arms. 

Scorpius took a step back. He didn’t want to intrude on the private moment between father and son. 

When Harry released Al, he looked at Scorpius, his eyes so incredibly bright. Scorpius’ breath caught. They stared at one another for a second too long; then Harry grasped his hand as if to shake it. He cupped Scorpius’ hand between both of his warm palms. 

“Thank you, Scorpius,” he said, those bright, bright eyes never leaving Scorpius’ face. “It means a lot that you thought of me on my birthday.”

Scorpius had no idea what his expression looked like. He just wanted Harry so much in that moment it was difficult to contain himself. 

Scorpius gulped. “Let’s have a slice then … if you’re not too full from dinner, that is.”

“I’m not too full,” Harry murmured, and released his hand. Scorpius tingled all over as they moved to the table and Al did the honour of slicing into the cake first. The Snitch fluttered higher to float above their heads. 

The cake was decadent. Scorpius licked the icing from his lips and watched Harry take his first bite. Harry’s eyes slipped closed as he chewed slowly. 

“Wow,” he said, voice thick from the sugar. “You two did a great job. This is amazing.”

Al nodded. He seemed to be suppressing a smile. “Good.” 

They sat down at the old table to eat. Harry produced a bottle of wine from his pocket, enlarging it. The bottle had a shimmering gold bow tied around its neck. “A birthday gift,” he said. “Do you want to have a glass with me?”

Al eagerly Summoned three wine glasses. He rarely turned down alcohol. Harry waved his wand and the wine uncorked and poured out three servings. 

The wine burst with sweet flavour on Scorpius’ tongue. “This compliments the cake well,” he said.

“Yes,” Harry said, taking a sip. “Very well.”

“How was Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione?” Al said.

Harry grinned at him. Al was making an attempt at conversation, and Harry appreciated it. “Knackered, honestly. Hermione thinks it’s finally time to run for Minister. Don’t tell anyone, of course. And Ron and George want to open their second stop in America. He’s up to his eyeballs in logistics.” 

“I wouldn’t mind having a go at America,” Al said. “Do you think they would give me a job?”

“What?” Scorpius said. “You want to move overseas?”

Al shrugged. “It’s just a thought, isn’t it? I’m not really needed here.”

“Of course you’re needed here,” Harry said.

Al looked at Scorpius, then Harry. “I’m not so sure about that.”

Scorpius fidgeted in his chair. Harry gulped, then gulped again. When Harry spoke, his voice was very calm, controlled. “I will support whatever you choose. Concerning the position, I doubt either Ron or George would _give_ it to you. You would need to prove that you are the right man for the position.”

Al huffed. He stared down at his wine, frowning. “Then I won’t hold my breath. There are a million people out there better than me.”

“Don’t count yourself out so quickly, Albus,” Harry said. “You’ve got loads of talent.”

Al held up his hand. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” He gulped down his wine, then poured himself another glass. 

“How about we play a bit of wizard’s cards?” Scorpius said. 

“All right,” Harry said, still frowning at his son. He Summoned the playing cards and dealt them in. 

They played cards for a few hours. They shared another slice of cake and Al opened another bottle of wine. 

It was half past ten when Al decided to go up to bed. He was drunk and moody. He didn’t look at Harry but he knocked Scorpius in the shoulder. 

“Are you going to stay here with him, or will you head home?”

Scorpius glanced at Harry. “I think I’ll stay for a little longer.”

“Are you _sure_?” Al slurred. “Isn’t your dad waiting for you or whatever?”

Scorpius paled a little. It was true. His father _was_ probably waiting up for him.

“Albus,” Harry said, voice low in warning. Al rolled his eyes and left. 

Al’s absence felt like a crater in the room. Heart pounding, Scorpius stole a glance at Harry. Harry was staring at him, eyes dark from the wine. He licked his lips and Scorpius couldn’t help but stare at his mouth. Harry probably tasted like wine and chocolate. 

“It is getting late,” Harry said roughly. 

It took Scorpius a moment to respond. “If you want me to leave, I will.” He said this staring down at the table. 

“What I want doesn’t matter.” 

Scorpius looked up at him. Harry’s eyes had darkened further. The expression on his face was hard, his teeth clenched, his jaw pulsing. Scorpius saw the needy vulnerability lurking just beneath the surface. 

“Tell me -” Scorpius was interrupted by the chiming of the Floo. 

Harry shoved his chair back and stood. “That must be James, finally remembering his old man’s birthday. Please excuse me.” Harry went upstairs, his steps a little staggered. 

Scorpius rose as well. He figured it really was time to go home, even though he didn’t want to leave. His father needed to stop relying on him for company, and it felt like stupid luck that Scorpius had found himself alone with Harry once again. He had no idea if he would ever have the opportunity again to enjoy his company like this - one on one, alone, warmed up by cake and wine. 

Still, it didn’t seem like Harry wanted him to stay. Scorpius didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, especially on his birthday. 

Scorpius collected their plates and cutlery, and filled the sink with soapy water. He washed up like the Muggles do, as Harry liked to do. He heard the murmur of voices die down and soft approaching footsteps, but a few minutes passed before he realised Harry stood behind him, watching him. 

“You needn’t do that.” Harry stepped to the sink on Scorpius’ right. 

Scorpius shrugged, his hands still soapy. “I wanted to do it.” He turned to give his full attention to Harry. They stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment. Then, without Scorpius even thinking about it, they were kissing. Harry had his arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer, so close. Scorpius opened his mouth, letting Harry’s tongue in, and Harry groaned deeply. Scorpius had no idea who’d made the first move. 

Hands dripping wet, Scorpius buried his fingers in Harry’s salt and pepper locks. Their tongues brushed together, over and over. Scorpius didn’t have a single care in his head; Harry tipped his head back softly, taking command of his mouth. With a thrill, Scorpius realised he was slightly taller than Harry, and he loved it. Harry was strong and compact against him; Scorpius’ hands drifted down to grab his muscular shoulders, needing something sturdy to grab onto. 

Finally Harry ripped away. “We shouldn’t,” he whispered, dazed and flushed. 

“I want you,” Scorpius said, grabbing at him, wanting to feel everything. His hands glided down Harry’s sides. Scorpius kissed his neck, open-mouthed. “Please,” he whispered against his skin, and they both shivered.

“I know,” Harry groaned. “Fuck, _I know_.”

“I want you,” Scorpius said, again and again. He pulled Harry into another kiss, and Harry allowed it for a moment before pulling away.

“We can’t,” Harry croaked. The words obviously cost him something.

Then Scorpius did something that would make any self-respecting Slytherin proud: He unbuttoned his trousers and guided Harry’s hand into his underpants. They both made noise when Harry wrapped his palm around him. Scorpius covered his hand with his own, squeezing. 

“Feel how stiff I am for you?” Scorpius whispered; he moved Harry’s hand up and down, stroking. “I’m already _leaking_ for you.”

Harry made a low, low groan; his control broke. He yanked Scorpius into a brutal kiss, and Scorpius realised he’d been holding back. Harry devoured his mouth, his hand now tugging his cock.

Their kiss broke, and Harry spun them in place, Disapparating. They reappeared in a dark bedroom - Harry’s bedroom. Harry urged him back onto his unmade bed. 

“Yes,” Scorpius said, reaching for him. He was surrounded by Harry’s scent, his sheets cold, his duvet so, so soft. 

Harry kissed him again. Scorpius kneaded his firm arse through his jeans. Moaning into his mouth, Harry thrust. Scorpius’ desperate cock was pinned between them. He felt how he left a trail of precome against Harry’s cotton shirt. 

“Please,” Scorpius whined, their lips still touching. 

“ _Scorpius_ ,” Harry whispered against his skin. He kissed his cheek, then his temple. His kisses were full of affection. 

Then Harry was shoving his shirt up, his trousers down. He kissed down Scorpius’ trembling stomach. He took Scorpius into his mouth, cradling his bollocks. 

Scorpius jack-knifed. “Oh!” 

Scorpius thought about all the times he’d seen Harry smile and laugh, all the times Harry had asked about his day or tried to instruct him. He thought about how Harry’s mouth looked in those moments - soft, easy, kind. Now that mouth was on his cock. 

Groaning, Harry sucked him deeper, past his gag reflex. Scorpius writhed, his hands yanking the fabric on Harry’s shoulders. Nobody had ever sucked him off like this. The pleasure was overwhelming. 

Harry bobbed his head, going slowly at first. He paused to whirl his tongue around Scorpius’ dripping crown. 

“Merlin,” Scorpius said, thrusting uncontrollably. Harry pinned his hips to the bed with a firm grip; then he went down on Scorpius again, mouth so wet, so eager. He sucked in a deep breath, then worked Scorpius into his throat. Scorpius saw stars. He twisted, trying to escape Harry’s grip, trying to thrust. 

A flood of emotion fell from Scorpius’ lips. “Oh, _please_. Merlin - oh. I can’t. Yes, just - Harry!”

Harry raised up to kiss him with his dirty mouth. Scorpius kissed him back hungrily, sucking his tongue, biting his lips. Harry worked his cock, pulling, pulling. He said as they breathed each other’s air: “Are you going to come for me, baby?”

Scorpius tried to answer but his words came out as one deep moan. His cock twitched and gushed precome: _Baby_. It had never occurred to him that Harry could sound so damn dark and possessive. 

Harry kissed him again, eating his moans. “Please,” Scorpius mouthed. 

Harry’s hand moved down past his bollocks, caressing along his cheeks. “Can I touch you here?”

Scorpius’ thighs fell open. “Anything,” he whispered.

“Good.” Harry slid down again and took him back into his mouth. A gentle finger found Scorpius’ hole. Harry didn’t press in; he moved his fingertip up and down, then rotating. It was a light touch with barely any pressure but it made Scorpius _explode_.

Throwing his head back, Scorpius came hard, so hard. He trembled all over, trying to thrust, his cock jerking in Harry’s mouth. He filled Harry up, some of it escaping his lips.

Harry swallowed eagerly, moaning, his finger still petting Scorpius’ hole, over and over, and Scorpius pushed down, wanting more, wanting to be penetrated. 

Finally, when Scorpius felt like he’d given Harry absolutely everything inside him, he relaxed against the bed, utterly knackered. Harry crouched over him and shoved down his jeans. Scorpius forced his eyes open, eager to see Harry’s cock, but all he could make out was the shadow of Harry’s desperately moving fist. 

Scorpius reached out to touch him but Harry pinned his wrist to the bed. “No,” he said, voice a growl. He came two strokes later, quiet, so quiet. His semen painted Scorpius’ stomach.

Harry rolled off him and buried his head into a pillow, his jeans still caught between his thighs. Scorpius curled up against him. They both slept. 

Later, when Scorpius woke up, he was alone in bed, and Harry was nowhere to be found. Scorpius got dressed and quietly left.

*

It was a day later when Scorpius managed the courage to return to Grimmauld Place. His stomach was in knots and his demeanor had even caused his father to frown worriedly at him during breakfast.

Scorpius hoped that Harry didn’t regret what happened between them, but he knew the signs weren’t great. Harry had fled his bed while Scorpius was still asleep. He hadn’t reached out to Scorpius since then. 

Scorpius stepped out of the Floo and was relieved to find only Harry in the parlour. Al must’ve been out in the shed, tinkering with the motorbike. 

Harry froze when he saw Scorpius. He looked like he hadn’t slept the night before, his gaze dulled in the bright afternoon light. 

“Hello,” Scorpius said, coming closer. He almost felt tears come to his eyes. One look at Harry’s expression killed any wishful thinking.

“Will you have a seat?” Harry said politely. He said it to the carpet, not to Scorpius. 

Taking a deep breath, Scorpius sat on the sofa next to Harry’s chair. 

Harry took a deep breath, eyes still trained on the carpet. “I’m sorry.”

“What?”

Harry clutched his face. “Jesus, Scorpius. I mucked it all up. I’m so bloody sorry.”

“There’s nothing -” Scorpius gulped in air. He wanted to say _I wanted it_ but he didn’t know how to do it now. It’d been so easy to whisper those words with a bit of boozy courage. 

Harry dropped his hands. He looked shattered. “I want you to know that I fully intend to tell Albus what happened.”

“No!” Scorpius yelled, surprising them both.

“We can’t keep it a secret.”

“No - I mean - why is it any of his business?”

Harry frowned at him. “Al is very protective over you.”

“Yeah, I know that. It’s just that - it’s my privacy, too. Al and I - we don’t talk about that kind of stuff.”

Harry’s brow rose. “I see.”

Scorpius was quickly losing control of the situation. “Look - I just don’t think you understand.”

“What don’t I understand?”

Scorpius took a deep, shuddering breath. _You don’t understand how much you make me ache … how much I fucking wanted what happened_. “It’s just - you know. It’s not some big deal.”

“Oh, Scorpius. Of course it’s a big deal.” Harry looked very tired. “I slept with my son’s best mate - the son who hates my guts, by the way.”

“Al doesn’t _hate_ you and we didn’t - we didn’t, you know, _sleep_ sleep together.” Scorpius cringed. He sounded childish. 

“I was inappropriate. I took advantage of you.”

“No, you didn’t!” 

Harry laughed softly and shook his head. “You don’t think that now, but you will when you’re older. When you’re older, you’ll look back and see my actions for what they really are.”

Scorpius opened and closed his mouth. “What if - what if I want to do it again?”

“Do what again?”

“What we did.”

Harry shook his head again. “Do it with someone your own age. I obviously don’t need to tell you you’re attractive. Loads of people your age will want to make love to you.”

“You think I’m attractive?”

“Christ.” Harry stood, putting more space between them. “I know you are worried about your privacy, but my relationship with Albus needs to come first. I sucked off his best mate - the person he’s closest to - something like that can’t go unsaid. He’ll end up going to his grave hating me.”

Stupidly, Scorpius felt a few tears escape his eyes. He didn’t know why he was crying. He was angry, afraid, frustrated. He was hurt. “Don’t you care about me?” he whispered to his clenched hands. 

Harry turned away, his back hunched, defeated. He crossed his arms, holding himself. “Of course I care about you Scorpius. That’s why I’m insisting that we do this right. Make amends, move on. You and Al are best mates. Friendship is the most important thing we have in this world. You’ll understand what I mean when you’re older.”

For some reason, Harry’s words made Scorpius angrier. Scorpius was older now; he was old enough to know what he wanted. If Harry couldn’t see that then … then maybe Harry was right. 

“Fine,” Scorpius said, voice old. “Let’s tell him now.”

Harry turned back, finally looking at him. “Good, Scorpius.” He sent his Patronus to fetch Al, the enormous stag barrelling through the wall. 

As they waited in silence, Scorpius glared at the floor, not letting himself feel anything.

Al stomped through the back door a few minutes later. “What is it?” he yelled. “I was working on a nasty little bolt and you interrupted -” He halted when he reached the parlour and found them both waiting for him. 

“You should sit down, Al,” Harry said softly. 

“No. Tell me now.” There was already panic in his voice. “Did something happen to Mum?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. Everyone is safe. It would be best if you had a seat.”

Al looked from his dad to Scorpius, then back again. Scorpius felt faint, his hands twisting in his lap. A slice of understanding appeared on Al’s face. 

“Albus,” Harry said.

“No,” Al said. “I want Scorpius to say it.”

Scorpius didn’t know how to phrase it. Could words even express what had happened between them? 

Scorpius forced himself to look directly into Al’s betrayed eyes. He said what he’d been desperate to tell Al for years: “I’m in love with your dad.”

“ _And_?” Al hissed. 

“What?”

Suddenly Al was yelling. “I already know you’re in love with him, you utter MORON!”

Harry gasped.

Scorpius’ mouth fell open. “What?” he repeated.

Al swerved on Harry, his wand pointed at him. “Fine, you tell me. Tell me how once again you took something that was mine and made it about you.”

Scorpius was on his feet. “Don’t hurt him!”

Al glowered at Harry. “I can’t do anything to him. He’s too powerful. Nobody can hurt him.”

“You’re hurting me right now, Al,” Harry said, choked up. “You’re gutting me.”

“YOU FUCKED MY BEST FRIEND!” A framed family portrait crashed to the floor, shattering. 

“I know. I fucked up. I’m so sorry.” Behind his glasses, Harry’s eyes shined with tears. “I know my actions hurt you. I know I should have been a better father to you. I should have thought about you, but I didn’t. I made a mistake.”

“You never think of me!” Al said.

“Al, please,” Harry begged. “I made a mistake.”

 _I’m a mistake to him_ , Scorpius thought. He wanted to leave. He wanted to run away and never come back. But first, he had something to say to Al.

Scorpius pulled Al away from his dad. He shoved his wand to the side, dismissing it. “I wanted him to sleep with me. It was my choice.”

“You should have known better! He’s the most selfish person I know!” Al said.

“No,” Scorpius said, angry at both of them. “ _You_ are the selfish one.”

“I knew it would come to this. Go on, defend him like everybody else. Tell me how perfect he is, what a hero he is. Tell me how much he’s sacrificed. Go on. Do it!”

Scorpius was only aware of Al in that moment. He had Harry’s eyes but they were entirely different. They didn’t have the same vulnerability, the same depth. Scorpius sincerely hoped Al didn’t spend his whole life pushing away love. 

“I can’t tell you anything you don’t already know,” Scorpius said, low enough for only Al to hear him. “It’s why it makes you so angry. It’s why you hate him so much.” He pulled Al into a loose embrace, hating how much his friend trembled in pain. “Let him love you,” he whispered. 

Al punched Scorpius in the nose. 

“Albus!” Harry yelled. He spelled a barrier between them and rushed to Scorpius’ side. 

Holding his nose, blood gushing down his arm, Scorpius put a hand up to stop Harry. “I’m leaving, it’s okay.” 

Scorpius staggered into the Floo. The last thing he saw was Al’s glaring expression, hot tears streaming down his face.

*

When Scorpius stumbled from the Floo, still clutching his nose, his father threw aside his book and rushed to help him.

“Merlin, Scorpius!” His father caught his chin, not letting him turn his face away. “What happened?”

“Al punched me,” he responded, stuffed up.

His father’s eyes grew even icier. “That little shit. I’ll destroy him.” 

“ _Father_ ,” Scorpius said.

“Hold still and let me heal you.”

Scorpius did what he was told, squeezing his eyes closed. His heart rate was just now slowing down. A few more tears leaked down his cheeks, betraying him. 

His father fixed his nose and stepped back. “You’re crying,” he said, looking murderous. 

“Everything’s a mess,” Scorpius said, stumbling to the settee. His father settled down in his wingback chair by the fire. 

“Please tell me what happened.”

Scorpius felt defeated. He just wanted an ally, someone to tell him everything was going to be okay. He wasn’t sure if his father could put aside his hatred of Harry long enough to be that for him. 

They sat for a long moment, the fire crackling next to his father. It was August and quite warm, but the manor had always contained strange, cold drafts. 

A loud knocking interrupted their silence. It was coming from the front door. Scorpius jumped to his feet. He knew it was Al. 

“Stay here,” his father ordered, and marched from the room. Scorpius hastily followed. 

One of the house elves was answering the door when they arrived. “I want to see Scorpius,” Al said, voice still raised.

“I’m here,” Scorpius said, stepping into view. “Thank you, Mitsy. I’ll take it from here.”

His father moved in front of Scorpius and threw open the door. “Get off my property,” he growled to Al. 

“Good afternoon, Mr Malfoy,” Al growled back. “My business involves Scorpius, not you.”

“Like hell it doesn’t involve me. How dare you lay your hands on my son!”

Al looked even more furious now. “Did he tell you what he did? My guess is no.”

“I don’t care what he did! He could have blown up your whole family and I would still tell you to bugger off!”

“Please, let’s all come inside and sit in the parlour. Mitsy can bring us a pot of tea.” Scorpius was thankful he sounded confident. 

Glowering, Al and his father followed him back to the family parlour. Scorpius perched on the settee and his father went to stand behind his chair, wand now clasped in his hand. Al only took a few steps into the room before halting. He also held his wand. 

“Tell your dad to leave us alone,” Al said. “We need to talk in private.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Father,” Scorpius said, a little annoyed. “Al is my closest friend. I trust him.”

“He made you bleed! No, he can say what he wants with me standing right here. Then he can leave and never step a foot on my land again.”

Scorpius closed his eyes briefly. He needed to move out, it was very clear to him now. He needed to move out and live _alone_.

“Fine,” Al snarled. “Scorpius shagged my dad.” He said it watching his father’s expression, almost gleeful.

His father sighed. “It was bound to happen, wasn’t it?”

Scorpius blinked several times. “Pardon?”

Al looked shocked too. “How did you - ?”

Rolling his eyes, his father finally settled down in his chair. He poured himself some tea that had just appeared on the table. “You don’t think I didn’t notice how much you revered the man? You virtually have hearts floating from your eyes every time you speak of him.”

“I - it’s that _obvious_?” Scorpius’ face was burning up.

“Yah,” Al said sarcastically. 

“I knew there would be trouble the moment I heard Potter had turned into a homosexual.”

“Father!” Scorpius said, offended for several reasons. “Why didn’t you ever tell me!”

“Tell you which part?”

“Everything! You knew I - and Harry? How did you know about Harry’s sexuality?”

His father shrugged. “Gossip gets around.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my dad,” Al said.

His father glowered at Al. “I’m not saying there is.”

Scorpius forced himself back to the subject at hand. “Al - what did you want to say to me?”

“I wanted to say I’m sorry,” Al said, still combative. “I shouldn’t have punched you.”

“No, you shouldn’t have. Is that all you wanted to say?”

“Dismissing me that quickly, eh? What - are you hoping my dad will show up too, declare his love? He’s not going to.”

Scorpius flinched. “That was uncalled for.”

“You know what’s uncalled for? You pretending to be my mate just so you can shag my dad.”

“That’s not - I never pretended. I _am_ your mate.”

Al laughed darkly. “We both know you’ve only been coming around so you can see him.”

Scorpius opened his mouth to deny it, but he realised there was some truth to it. “You’ve just been so miserable lately,” he said quietly. 

“Well, I have plenty to be miserable about! Do you know how it feels to have a best mate who only wants to be around you because he fancies your dad? It really makes a bloke think, you know. Really, Scorpius, was my dad the only reason you became my friend in the first place?”

Scorpius felt frozen to the spot. “Your dad scared the hell out of me when we met. We were only eleven. I befriended you because we were both outsiders, we both had families with a lot of baggage. We understood each other as fellow Slytherins.”

“And after we left school? You didn’t forget about me solely because it meant you would lose access to him?”

Scorpius was crying again. He loved Al and he was dedicated to their friendship, their bond, but he also knew that some of what Al was saying was true. Scorpius _did_ pop over to Grimmauld Place to see Harry; he _did_ hold his breath for when he could get a glimpse of him. In a lot of ways, he did use Al to get closer to Harry.

To think Al knew it all along? It was a terrible feeling. 

Scorpius stood shakily and headed for Al. “Damnit, I’m so bloody sorry.” Al let Scorpius pull him into a hug. It was awkward at first, Al drumming with tension; but then he relaxed and hugged Scorpius back. 

“You promised you would always like me more,” Al said, clutching him, voice full of tears. 

“I’m sorry, Al. I didn’t plan any of it.”

“You _promised_.” Al cried into his shoulder. “You were supposed to be the one damn person in this world who valued me.”

“Why can’t I value both of you?”

“Because he gets everything! All the attention, all the praise. And I get nothing.”

“That’s not true, Al. You just need to find your own path, carve out your own identity.” Scorpius looked up and found his father’s gaze. “We both do.”

Nodding, his father left the room. 

Sniffling, Al pulled away. “I also know you’re studying to be an Unspeakable. You’re shit at hiding things from me.”

“I thought I was being so careful!”

“I could see you studying through the window, you berk. And you thought I’d never look in your bag? You left it unattended a billion times.”

Scorpius shook his head. “It never occurred to me that you’d rummage through my things, you arse.”

“What can I say? I’m a better Slytherin than you.”

“You are.”

Al rubbed his eyes and looked away. He gritted his teeth. “I hate to say this but … I think my dad really fancies you.”

Scorpius blinked. “Oh.”

“I mean, it was obvious he turned into a big perv around you. Anyone with eyes could see that. But … I think he, you know, cares about you and stuff. Fucking hell. I hate talking about this.”

Scorpius nodded. “I understand. I don’t really want to talk about it with you either.”

“Just … give it some time, will you? Let me find a good flat to live in so I don’t have to hear you two shagging like rabbits.”

Scorpius covered his face, mortified. “Al, please.”

“I don’t need to know my dad’s a screamer, you know?”

“AL!”

Al laughed. “You want to date my dad? You’ve got to deal with my jokes.”

Scorpius shook his head. “I doubt Harry’s interested in me now … not after today. He has so many other options.”

“Yeah, so many options, and he goes and falls for my best mate. Merlin’s fucking beard.”

*

A few months went by before Scorpius saw Harry again. At first, Scorpius was devastated that Harry never reached out, but it wasn’t surprising. Scorpius avoided Grimmauld Place and threw himself into studying for the Unspeakable entrance exam. He started looking for a flat, but not with Al. He didn’t think it would be a good idea if they lived together.

When the exam finally arrived, Scorpius passed it with a nearly perfect score. His father cried when Scorpius showed him the results. “I’m so damn proud of you,” he told Scorpius.

Scorpius tried to be happy about becoming an Unspeakable. He _was_ happy, but his heart was still broken.

It was his second morning on the job when Scorpius ran into Harry in the lift. They were crammed together in the back, shoulders touching. Scorpius immediately remembered Harry’s dark, aroused voice: _Are you going to come for me, baby?_.

Scorpius felt Harry’s eyes on him. Harry smelled like sandalwood and soap. “Congratulations,” he said to Scorpius.

“Thank you,” Scorpius said, not looking at him. He forced himself to stand tall in his white professional robes, chin held high. 

The lift doors opened and Harry trickled out with most of the other occupants. Harry turned as if he wanted to say something else. He looked so damn good in his Head Auror uniform. The doors closed on him.

A few weeks later, Scorpius was eating lunch in the canteen alone when he felt someone staring at him. He looked up from his book and spotted Harry a few tables away, sharing a pot of tea and a plate of mini sandwiches with Al’s Aunt Hermione. 

Hermione was talking passionately about something, gesturing with her teacup, but Harry was entirely distracted by Scorpius. He looked and looked, his own cup forgotten. Scorpius stared back. He took a slow, long sip of his coffee, then made a show of licking his lips clean. 

Harry flushed almost as red as his robes. Scorpius went back to his book, barely reading the words. Every few minutes Scorpius looked up and found Harry still eye-fucking him.

The next morning, Scorpius came into work and found a single rose and a fragrant bag of expensive coffee beans on his desk. There was no note but he knew they were from Harry.

*

It was late Friday afternoon, and Scorpius was back at his desk, winding down from a stressful day of being befuddled by magic’s mysteries. He was reading an owl from Al, who was now sharing a flat with his cousin Hugo and preparing his application to a magical mechanics programme. He was dating Scarlett Parkinson and sounded sheepish for not writing to Scorpius sooner. _Sorry I’ve been distracted, mate. Scarlett is taking up loads of my time._

“I’m sure she is,” Scorpius muttered, trying not to feel jealous. He wanted a boyfriend who took up loads of _his_ time. 

The office space door opened and Harry and Unspeakable Lovegood entered the room. Scorpius was so shocked he almost ducked his head behind his cubicle wall. 

Harry zeroed in on him right away. Scorpius flushed and hastily put away Al’s letter. Harry and Lovegood stopped at his desk.

“Hello, Scorpius,” Lovegood said cheerfully. Her radish earrings clashed terribly with her robes. 

“Hello, ma’am,” he answered, acknowledging her higher rank. 

Lovegood smiled at Harry. “Thanks for coming by, Harry. You’re not really supposed to be down here, but of course I don’t mind. I hope you enjoy your evening with Scorpius.” She departed quietly.

Harry was now the one flushing. “I never told her that we’d be spending the evening together - I wouldn’t presume such a thing.”

Scorpius stood, his stomach twisting pleasantly. “You finally made it back to the Department of Mysteries.”

“Yes … I wanted to see you.”

“I’m flattered,” Scorpius said truthfully. He was having a hard time meeting Harry’s gaze. It had been months since they slept together, but Scorpius couldn’t help but fixate on it. _His mouth has been on my cock_ , he thought with a shiver. 

Harry cleared his throat. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

Scorpius turned awkwardly to his desk as if he didn’t know what it contained. “You didn’t interrupt anything. I was just reading some of my correspondence.”

“From a boyfriend?”

“I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Oh. Too busy?”

Scorpius clasped his hands together. “Yes and no. Starting this job has been quite demanding, but … I’ve been stuck on you.”

Harry sucked in a breath. “I see.”

Scorpius managed to look up at him. Harry’s eyes were very, very bright. “Thank you for the rose and the coffee.”

“I’m glad you liked them, particularly the coffee. I saw you enjoying some in the canteen not long back.”

“I know.” Scorpius stared into his eyes as he said this. Something heated passed between them. 

“Scorpius,” Harry said roughly, taking a step closer. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“Please don’t apologise.”

Harry blinked. “Why not? I know I hurt you.”

“I understand why you pushed me away. It wasn’t the right time.”

“No, it wasn’t, but now ...”

“Now everyone knows,” Scorpius said softly. 

“Yes, and Al understands.”

“Yes.”

They stared at one another again. Harry’s gaze was filled with such lovely vulnerability. It made Scorpius absolutely _ache_.

Scorpius grabbed his hand. “Will you come home with me? I would like to continue this conversation but in private.”

“Yes,” Harry breathed.

They left the Department of Mysteries and took the lift to the Apparition tunnel. In the tunnel, Scorpius clasped Harry’s other hand and turned them. A moment later, they reappeared in Scorpius’ small flat. 

“Care for a drink?” Scorpius Summoned his whiskey and two tumblers. 

“Yes, thank you.” Harry looked almost nervous.

Scorpius poured them a few swallows of whiskey. They sat on his cheap sofa by the window. The sun was shining in the summer evening. 

Scorpius let Harry taste his whiskey, then he said, “I want you to know that I’m in love with you.”

Harry almost dropped his tumbler. His expression was a mixture of surprise and pleasure. “I didn’t know, not really.”

“Yes, well, I thought it was only fair that I told you how serious this is for me.”

Harry glanced out the window, the sun doing wonders to his green eyes. “I’m glad,” he said. “I’m not good at loving halfway.”

“Do you -” Scorpius stopped himself. 

Harry scooted closer on the sofa. He grabbed Scorpius’ hand, intertwining their fingers. “I’m in love with you, too. I tried to ignore my feelings; I tried to shame myself out of wanting you. But it was useless.”

“Kiss me,” Scorpius said, and pulled him close. Their lips met, and a shiver shot through Scorpius. _Yes_ , he thought, burying his hands in Harry’s robes. Their kiss deepened, turning desperate. Harry tasted like whiskey and tea. 

“God, I want you,” Harry said, pulling away a little to kiss his chin, his nose. “I want you so fucking much.”

“You can have me, Harry.”

They went to his bedroom, which was small and warm. Scorpius kicked off his shoes and walked backward to the bed. He fell back on his mattress, pulling Harry on top of him. 

Harry kissed him again, and together they unbuckled Scorpius trousers and pushed them off. Scorpius whimpered when his knuckles brushed his stiffening cock. 

“I want you to fuck me,” he whispered.

“Yes, love.” Harry ran his mouth down Scorpius’ neck. He sucked his skin. Scorpius thrust, needing more. 

“Get your clothes off. I want to finally see you.”

Harry fumbled for his wand. He muttered a spell that made both of their clothes disappear. Harry looked absolutely delicious starkers. His cock was already arching, already red with want. 

“Cracking spell,” Scorpius laughed. He widened his legs, wanting Harry to touch him down below. 

Gulping, Harry cast a lube spell, getting his fingers wet. Staring into his eyes, he found Scorpius’ hole and pressed in. He watched Scorpius’ expression avidly as he eased inside him. “God, you’re so tight.”

Scorpius’ mind was a whirl of hot emotions. “It’s been - I haven’t -” He moved, wanting so much more. 

“It’s all right,” Harry murmured. “I’ll take care of you.” He added a second finger, then began to fuck him steadily. 

Scorpius pulled him down into a kiss. He panted into his mouth. “I want your cock,” he whined.

“God.”

“Please, Harry. It’s not enough.”

“Yes.” Harry slicked up his cock, then got into position. Still staring at Scorpius’ face, he reached down and guided himself into his arse. They both groaned. His cock stretched Scorpius open, his flesh burning. Scorpius’ toes curled against his sheets and he muffled a whimper. 

Harry bottomed out, his bollocks nestled against Scorpius’ cheeks. “Baby.” Harry captured his lips in an open-mouth kiss. 

Scorpius reached down to stroke himself desperately. “Say it again,” he pleaded.

Smiling softly, Harry gently pulled out, then pushed back in. “Do you like it?”

“ _Yes_.” Scorpius continued to tug himself. 

Harry pulled almost all the way out, then slammed back in. Scorpius cried out. Harry did it again and again, changing his angle a little, seeking his prostate. When he found it, Scorpius shuddered and dribbled over his fingers. 

Harry rocked into him repeatedly, eyes dazed but still open, still watching every flicker of pain and want and desperation on Scorpius’ face. He must have felt how hard and wet Scorpius was between them, how quickly his knuckles were working against his stomach. 

“Are you going to come for me, baby?” he whispered.

Scorpius moaned deeply. The words acted like a switch in his mind, giving him permission to lose control. For months he’d been fantasising about Harry saying those exact words to him again, and now he had actually done it. 

Eyes rolling back, Scorpius stiffened as pleasure rushed through him. He gushed over his fingers, his cock throbbing, his semen smearing between them. Harry cried out and surged forward, but Scorpius clenched hard around him, so hard. 

“Fuck, Scorpius, you’re making me come.”

“I love you, Harry.” Scorpius was still coming down, still shaking uncontrollably. He felt Harry’s release inside him, that throbbing warmth. Harry buried his face in his shoulder and fucked him in erratic, punishing thrusts. 

Panting, Harry didn’t immediately pull out. He kissed Scorpius, their tongues caressing, saliva mingling. “I love you, too,” he said. He thrust lazily a few more times, then slipped out.

Harry rolled onto his side and pulled Scorpius with him. He kissed Scorpius’ temple. “You’re perfect,” he said. 

Scorpius clutched him, breathing in his drying sweat and faint cologne. _It’s always been you_ , Scorpius thought. He snuggled closer. 

They lay in comfortable silence, the room now uncomfortably muggy. Scorpius raised up on an elbow to gaze down at Harry. He saw the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, around his mouth. He saw all the threads of silver in his black hair. His eyes looked enormous without glasses. 

Harry frowned as Scorpius inspected him. “You don’t regret it, do you? I’m … not young anymore.”

“You’re the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.” Scorpius gave him a peck on the lips, then slithered down to suck his cock. He wondered how quickly he could make Harry hard again.

**Author's Note:**

> This work is part of the HP ScarryFest 2021. The author will be revealed on 31st March 2021.


End file.
